


The Boy by the Cinders

by Polarnacht



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Child Abuse, Cinderella Elements, First Kiss, First Love, First Meetings, Happy Ending, M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-03
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:21:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22544695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht
Summary: Valentine raises his two sons, Jace and Jonathan, to be great warriors. From an early age on they join him in hunts and learn to master the weapons of the Shadow World. Failures and disobedience are severely punished and the boys try to make sure to always please their father. But what happens when Jace proves to be the ultimate failure?
Relationships: Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland
Comments: 21
Kudos: 42





	1. Ashes to Ashes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [OliviaLuzia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/OliviaLuzia/gifts).



> Hi there, this fic is gifted to the lovely OliviaLuzia, who prompted me to write a Cinderella influenced story. I hope this is what you were looking for and I hope it meets your expectations! 
> 
> This story is more set in the Shadow World of the books. If something is not explained properly (naming of blades etc.) please let me know.
> 
> As always, I truly appreciate your comments and kudos!

Jace grew up like many others of his kind, in the outskirts of Alicante, capital and only city of Idris, the home country of the Shadowhunters. He was born into a famous and powerful Shadowhunter family, the Morgensterns. His father, Valentine, raised him and his two years older brother Jonathan with a stern hand. As so many others, Valentine believed in the superiority and purity of his race, considering Downworlders and especially mundanes inferior and unworthy. He supported strongly the conservative wing in the Clave, which hold on to de-runing of Shadowhunters who pursued a relationship with mundanes and encouraged the hunt on Downworlders.

Jace grew up without a mother; she had died giving birth to him. Sometimes he felt guilty about it and his father nourished that believe. He was not a loving man, maybe his love had died with his wife, Céline, maybe he had never been capable of love. Jace had never met his grandparents, Jules and Lisette Montclaire, who had lived in the French countryside but died when he was four years old. Judging from the pictures, Jace took more after the Montclaire family side than the Morgensterns, his blonde hair of the same shade than his mother’s and grandmother’s. Jace liked to look at the picture of his mother and her family, wondering how different his life would be if he hadn’t killed her at his birth. Céline had kind eyes, the same nuance of green than her first-born, Jonathan, but warmer. Valentine, to the contrary, had dark brown eyes with a cold glance to them, reflecting the coldness of his heart. Only Jace had blue eyes, blue with a sparkle of brown in the left, no one knew where this color came from.

Valentine raised his boys the only way he knew, the way he had been raised: He wanted to form them into warriors, not only the average soldier but the best warriors the Shadow World should ever see. He never accepted failure or disobedience. He had different methods of punishing his boys, varying from spanking with the bare hand to beatings with a belt or a riding crop, locking them up in the dark basement without light or food, denying them the basic comforts of modern life like a bed. Mostly, the punishments were related to the misbehavior. If the boys failed making their bed in the right and accurate way, they were not allowed to sleep in it but had to lie on the concrete floor, without a blanket. If they burned the dinner while cooking it they were denied food. Showing fear while hunting demons – Valentine took even his really young and not yet runed children out for hunts – earned the boys several days in the basement, left alone and never sure when their father would pick them up. Of course they were kept in different rooms if they were punished at the same time.

Jace could deal with the pain, the starving, the sleeping on the ground, but at the age of 6 he truly was afraid of the basement and the dark. He once made the mistake to announce this to his father, which just led to his imprisonment for a whole week. When his father took him to the basement, he didn’t know how long he was going to be there. The room was small, five steps to the left, ten to the front. There was no furniture in it, no blanket to keep him warm, nothing to keep his mind busy, he was only surrounded by darkness and the monsters in his head. Jace had seen enough demons to keep his mind spinning in loops, the gurgling noises of the heating pipe fueling his fears and deluding his senses. The blond curled up in himself, hugging his knees tightly to his chest to savor the last bit of body warmth he had left. But it was of no use, the cold crept into his bones like the fear into his heart. His teeth were chattering and his pale fingers turning into an icy blue. He rocked slightly forwards and backwards to sooth himself, forcing himself to think of something else than his current surroundings. He rocked harder, pressing his eyes shut and all of a sudden it happened. He was no longer locked up in the cellar, but out in the open, feeling the sun on his bare skin, wind rustling his hair. He could breathe again. He saw the fields and the stables of Morgenstern manor and in the faint distance he could hear a horse nicker. His hands touched the yellow crop on the field, which surrounded the family residence, brushing slightly through the haulms when he walked away.

A knocking sound which came from the heating pipes jerked him out of his vision, suddenly the horrid truth of his reality hitting him again. But he had done it, he could do it again. There was a way out, even if it only existed in his own head.

After what felt like days, a little flap opened and something was shoved inside. Jace crawled forward, not sure his feet would still carry him. It was water and a bit bread. He felt tears tingling at the corner of his eyes, he had never gotten food supplies before. But he had never been that long locked up in the basement, even if his assumption of time was certainly not accurate, it felt way longer than normal. He wondered if Jonathan had slipped him the things. His brother was not the most loving one, but in general they stuck together. On the one hand, they lacked other possibilities, one the other their father was easier to bear together.

He had escaped in his headspace several times, leaving him somehow soothed and reassured, but the longer his ordeal took, the shorter his escapes were and at the 4th day he was not able to reach his quiet place at all. He was just too scared, too cold, to tired and too lonely. At the 7th day, Valentine took mercy on the young boy and let him out again. As soon as the door opened, Jace pulled himself together as best as he could, not wanting to enrage his father further. The light in the house hurt Jace eyes, not accustomed to the brightness of day anymore after a week in complete darkness. Jace swore to himself to never show any sign of fear again if this meant he would not been locked up anymore.

***

Jace was proud when Jonathan turned 10 and had his runing ceremony, way younger than the average Shadowhunter, but they were Morgensterns after all. Jonathan did not so much as to blink, looking steadily at the Silent Brother who drew the first of many runes on the boy’s delicate pale skin. The Voyance rune, the traditional first rune nearly any Shadowhunter was given, was ink black and stood in a dark contrast to the white of Jonathan’s body. The redhead looked proud and even though the first rune stung, he hadn’t flinched or shown any other sign of weakness. Valentine was pleased and Jace made a secret vow to himself that he would be as brave as his older brother when his time was due.

Soon after his first rune, Jonathan’s lean body was marked with several permanent marks, Strength, Agility, Speed and countless others. He was proud that he was now part of the active Shadowhunters, who contributed to the fame of their race by hunting demons on his own. As a special gift from his father, he had received his first own seraph blade, which he had named Gabriel after the archangel. Whenever he whispered the name to the blade and it lit up in a greenish light, his green eyes glowed the same way, showing his commitment to the cause. Jace couldn’t wait till he turned ten to show his father that he was also a worthy fighter.

***

As all richer families in Idris, the Morgenstern owned horses. Cars or other means of modern day transportation like buses or motorcycles were forbidden in Idris, so the people had to use the old ways. Not that Jace minded, not at all. Jace and his brother learned riding at the same time they learned to walk. Riding was the one thing, Jace was better at than Jonathan. Not that the redhead was bad or afraid, but it seemed that the horses were afraid of him, giving him a hard time to control them. Like his father, Jonathan had to use force and brutal strength to make the horses obey his commands. Jace however, had a knack for the majestic creatures. He could tame them without forcing them to submit, he coaxed them into obeying his wishes and commands voluntarily. Even at the young age of 6 Jace rode stallions like he had never done anything else, the strong and stubborn animals following his lead willingly. His most precious belonging was a beautiful, white Arabian stallion, which had come to the Morgensterns with the label of too wild to ride. But with patience and love Jace managed to tame the wild horse, but only for him. The stallion was not big, Arabian horses being rather delicate, but strong and swift as the wind. His fur was soft and white with just a few silver freckles in it, but the most impressive feature were his pitch black eyes, eyes which seemed to have seen already too much and therefore knew everything. Just like Jace’s. Jace named his stallion Malik, which meant master or king, as this horse would never have a true master but itself. Malik tolerated Jace, even liked him – but nothing more. Jace sometimes wondered if the stallion had blood from the mighty horses of the Wild Hunt in his vanes, the famous horses which could fly and bowed only to their one and true owner, a faery hunter chosen by the horse itself. Most of the time, Jace rode him without a saddle and snaffle, just with a halter. He loved to feel the warm fur under him, communicating only by means of his legs and weight with the horse. Even though technically the horse belonged to his father, Malik was Jace’s.

When Jace10th birthday drew closer, the boy got more agitated, but in a good way. He didn’t feel nervous, he had no reason for it. He knew he could handle the pain, the scars on his fragile back witness of how much he was able to endure. He had heard from rare cases of Shadowhunters rejecting their runes and going insane or dying in the process, like mundanes would if a rune was etched into their skin, but Jace didn’t worry about that. He was a Morgenstern and Morgensterns didn’t fail, at least not such basic things as bearing runes. Their family was old and had a long history, not once he had read of an offspring who was not worthy of the Shadowhunter legacy, even though most probably they would have been erased from the family tree anyhow. Jace had learned that one of Valentines friends, Robert Lightwood, had been a tough case, nearly dying in the runing ceremony but in the end, the boy lived and could be marked with more runes, even though his body seemed always a bit reluctant to bare them. But Jace was not thinking of Robert Lightwood when the Silent Brother turned up for his ceremony. His father had already given him his first own seraph blade, which the young boy clutched possessively and gratefully. He tugged it away, but kept it close. He had already chosen the name for it, Raguel, one of the 15 archangels. Seraph blades had all to be named, otherwise they would not light up. Before a fight, you had to whisper the name of the Angel one had chosen for the blade and only then it evoked its powers. It was often believed that naming a blade not only activated the heavenly fire in the weapon, infused by the Iron Sisters who forged the blades from adamas, but that also the chosen Angel’s spirit transferred to the blade. Therefore Jace had thought long about the name of his first seraph blade, trying to figure out a worthy name. Raguel, the Archangel of Justice and Fairness, but also the Archangel of Vengeance and Redemption, was a good fit he thought, smiling proudly at his own choice. He would make good use of the blade.

Unlike in other Shadowhunter families, the ceremony was kept small, no big party afterwards, Valentine didn’t believe in parties or friendly get-togethers. He considered it a waste of time, which could be better used to train, hunt or fight. Therefore only his father, Jonathan and the Silent Brother were present.

Jace stepped forward, holding out his hand for the brother to mark him with his first rune, the Voyance rune as tradition required it. In seldom cases a different rune was chosen, when the child was overly sick strength rune was applied for example, but in general the Voyance rune was the first and drawn on the back of the hand. Jace’s hand didn’t shake when the Stele of the Silent brother met his skin, carving the rune in his delicate skin. He felt the sting, a sharp, hissing pain, but just like his brother he didn’t flinch or shy away. He just looked at the Brother, standing upright, his eyes following every movement. Soon the rune was edged in, the deep black clearly visible against his sun-burnt skin. His father nodded in approval, and Jace looked proudly at his hand. He smiled. But as quick as the smile had appeared, it vanished, replaced by a grimace of horror. The rune transformed, the black fading and fading into gold before it vanished completely. The rune was gone, leaving only bare, untouched skin behind. Jace blinked. Once. Twice. But still, the rune didn’t appear again, it was gone. Just like that, gone.

***

Jace was dragged into his room and locked in by Valentine. The boy heard his father screaming and arguing with the Silent Brother. Apparently the Brother hadn’t witnessed anything like this before. Jace didn’t feel different to prior the ceremony, no madness, no pain, no dying. He just felt a slight sting at his hand. How could this be possible? Even if a Shadowhunter were not able to bare a rune, the runes wouldn’t vanish. Jace was at a total loss, the only thing he knew was that he was terrified, truly afraid of was going to happen to him. He knew his father was a harsh man and he knew how his father hated mundanes. No way he would let Jace live with them if he was not a true Shadowhunter. The shame burned in his body, coloring his cheeks in a dark shade of red. In a gesture of despair, he pulled out his Seraph Blade and whispered miserably the name he had chosen to the blade. Seraph Blades only lit up for marked Shadwohunters, so Jace didn’t expect any reaction from the blade, but he wanted to hear the name once spoken out loud. He knew his father would not let him keep the blade. “Raguel” he whispered, and to his utmost surprise, the blade lit up instantly, glowing in the faint greenish light only adamas forged by the Iron Sisters could shine.

The door to his room flew open, and Valentine rushed into his room, angrier than Jace had ever seen him. “You are a disgrace to nature” he spat to the young boy, hitting him hard in the face. Jace felt his lip crack open, but he suppressed the cry of pain, which would anger his father only more. “You are a disgrace to our family name, you are not a Morgenstern any longer.” Another blow to his head sent his world spinning, the force making him stumble backwards. He held his blade still in his hand, Raguel softly glowing, but he never even thought of rising his arm to defend himself, too caught up in his fear of his father and his trained obedience. But the sight of the blade seemed to calm Valentine’s rage a little. “How did you make it light up?” he demanded to know. In a voice, nearly inaudible, Jace whispered. “I just named it. I don’t know why it activated. I’m sorry, father, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to bring shame to our family.” Valentine looked stunned for a moment, his eyes focused on the blade. The blade shouldn’t have reacted to Jace’s naming. Also, Jace shouldn’t stand there, either he should be dead or screaming in agony with his mind slowly drifting into insanity, these were the only two scenarios known for kids who rejected the rune completely like Jace had done. But the astonishment lasted only for a moment, the rage winning soon the upper hand. He unbuckled his belt and forced his son to strip naked, bending him over his bed and whipping him till Jace’s back looked more like raw meat than skin and flesh.

The days after his ceremony were the worst in Jace’s life so far, which meant something as his life had never been easy. He was left alone in his room, which was probably scarier than a lock-up in the basement. After three days, the door was opened with a huge bang, getting nearly unhinged by the strength with which Valentine had forced it open. Jace shrunk back in the corner of the room, even though it had been the only thing he had thought of the entire time, he had no idea what his father would do to and with him. Kill him? Send him away to live with mundanes, which was probably worse than dying? Jace had grown up with the harsh believe that mundanes were lesser than Shadowhunters and the thought of being a mundane or being even less made his body cringe and he had to swallow down bale. His eyes were wide open and he was sure his father saw the fear in them, even though he tried his best to not let it show. His body was rigid, but not shaking.

His father stood there and watched him. He was very calm, but not in a soothing way but in a way a predator was before he killed his prey. “Take your blade”. Jace struggled a bit while forcing his feet to move, to grab the blade his father had gifted to him. It lay on the bedside locker, which meant he had to get closer to his father, something his whole body rejected, but Jace forced himself to obey his mind. He grabbed the blade and looked questioning at his father. Was he supposed to give it back? “Light it up.” Valentine’s voice was still calm, but Jace could hear the anger lingering underneath the forced ease. “Raguel” he whispered, hoping that the blade would light up just as the other times. The blade shown in a steady greenish tone and Jace nearly could feel the blade humming. He couldn’t help but feeling relieved – and a bit proud.

Valentine just looked at his son. He had done research and he had never heard of anything like that. If a kid is not runed, the adamas and the heavenly fire should not react to Jace. He wandered what in hell he had done to deserve such a disappointment as son. “It seems you are not completely useless after all. For now I allow you to stay. But you are not my son anymore, you are not worthy to carry the Morgenstern name. You are nothing more than a servant now. And servants are not allowed to sleep in a room. You sleep now in the basement.”

Jace’s mouth was quicker than his brain, before he could hold back he pleaded with his father. “But father, please, not the basement…” Jace was older now, but he hated the basement anyway.

The anger Valentine had suppressed emerged to the surface like a volcano erupted its lava. His fist connected with Jace’s jaw, sending the young boy’s head back in a violent blow. “I am not your father. You will not call me that. You are a disgrace. You will obey me or I’ll kill you.” Relentlessly Valentine fists hit Jace, who was trying to cover his head with his arms to protect it. The forth blow sent him down to the floor, where he curled up instantly into a fetal position, while his father proceeded in his rage, kicking his son in the ribs, not minding if or what he broke. When Valentine finally left the room, Jace couldn’t move, his whole body hurt. Silently, he let the tears fall which he had hold back for the past days, in an attempt to try to be the brave soldier his father wanted him to be.


	2. Dust to Dust

If Jace had thought his life had been hard the last 10 years, he soon learned that it was nothing in comparison to what lay ahead of him. His father was true to his word, he had to sleep in the basement from now on. At least, he was allowed a mattress and a blanket, he had also been allowed to take his clothes and other few belongings with him. But this didn’t prevent the nightmares he constantly had. At the beginning he woke up every night, screaming, covered in sweat. But of course, no one showed up to comfort him. He dreamed of disappearing runes, runes which were so big that they covered his whole body just to fade away in the face of danger. But the worst dreams he had were those of endless blackness, where he was buried alive and all he could see and feel was black, as though he at ceased to exist. After these nightmares he rarely managed to fall asleep again, surrounded by his own horror of darkness, leaving him exhausted for the hard day’s work to come. But, in the end, he coped with it, like he had coped with every other situation his father had thrown him in so far. 

Worse was, that his father truly disowned him. Each time a “father” slipped from Jace’s lips, the beating was severe and soon the boy learned to address Valentine only as Sir, the coldness in Valentine’s eyes still making the blond shiver each time his father looked at him with disgust. 

Jace’s new duties were manifold. He had to prepare breakfast – therefore he had to be up at the crack of dawn, which was not easy when nothing in your room indicated if it was night or day – he had to clean the house, the stables, do the washing, practically every household chores which came up. Jonathan was freed of most duties now, he was supposed to focus on training and studying. Jace had to train together with Jonathan, as his older brother needed an adequate sparring partner. In the training room Jace could pretend for some hours that he was still Jace Morgenstern and not Jace the servant. Both boys got the same harsh instructions and Jace was supposed to fight back properly, to not hold back. And he enjoyed it. He had always loved to train with his brother, to pit his strengths against his older sibling. Most often, Jonathan won, being taller and stronger, but sometimes Jace was able to outsmart him and pin him to the ground. In these brief moments, he felt free. But the moments were rare and faded quickly. Nevertheless, his fighting skills increased therefore steadily. Sometimes he even was allowed to listen to the lessons about demonic languages and history, which Jonathan received. It seemed, that his father had not given up hope entirely that maybe one day Jace would be a real Shadowhunter, at least that was what Jace wanted – needed – to believe. 

Valentine also took Jace with him to hunts, sending him into the greatest danger, as his life was expandable. Raguel was always by his side, Valentine even let him use other weapons made of adamas. Like Raguel, they lit up as for every other Shadowhunter. No one could explain why, but Jace was glad they did, more than glad. He was aware of the fact that his father hid his failure at the runing ceremony from other Shadowhunters, not wanting to let anyone know about the shame Jace had brought on the family name. So in front of others Valentine pretended that Jace was normal, that the ceremony had taken place as announced, just that his runes were placed at hidden spots – and as there were no strict rules for the body parts a rune should be applied to, it worked. They had not much contact to others anyhow. Sometimes, during hunts, especially when he was in real danger, he felt a strange prickling under his skin, as if something wanted to emerge to the surface. But the feeling always vanished as quickly as it came. 

What bothered Jace maybe most was that his relationship with Jonathan was shattered. Jonathan was not allowed to spend time with him anymore, like Valentine the redhead was supposed to see him only as a servant. The glances Jonathan gave Jace whenever Valentine was busy doing something else and the few times the boys were alone together, showed Jace that his brother was not ready to give him up entirely. But Jonathan knew better than to disobey Valentine openly. He feared the wrath of his father too much, and even if Jace was his brother and he still considered him as such, Jace was not important enough for Jonathan to go directly against his father’s orders. But sometimes he showed a bit of mercy and slipped the boy a treat, chocolate, a piece of cake or similar. But it was not much and most of the time the boys were kept seperatly. Jace had to work constantly, the shear amount of tasks often not manageable in one day, but Valentine of course expected Jace to deliver. For every missed task he got punished, but also if the task was not executed to the state of total perfection. Jace couldn’t count the amount of beatings he had gotten since his 10th birthday, and the skin on his back felt always raw, the wounds healing just to be beaten bloody again. Many of them scared. 

The few occasions, which Jace spent Malik were the only salvation in the blond’s life. The stallion was valuable, even if besides Jace no one was able to ride him, but he was a good breeder. His foals made a decent price, as Malik’s bloodline was pure. The stud needed to be trained and ridden, and as Jace was the only one who could do it, it was one of his tasks, but one which the boy did gladly. When he was on the back of his horse and let the stallion gallop as fast as the wind, he felt free again and as if the runing never had taken place. Sometimes he wandered what would happen if he just didn’t come back, but he had no idea where to go to so he always returned. But Jace was sure that these hours with his horse kept him sound and made it possible for him to endure the constant humiliation and pain.

One day Valentine ordered him to come to his father’s study room. Jace froze, study room always meant a particularly hard punishment, but he was not aware of any failure from his side. Not that this always prevented beatings, if Valentine was in a mood he didn’t need an excuse and apparently it was one of these days. Jace sighed and braced himself for what was to come. He entered the room and stood before his father, trying to hide any sign of fear. To his surprise his father didn’t snatch the riding crop from beside the writing desk, but seized his Stele. “Hold out your arm” Valentine demanded in an even tone. Jace complied instantly, knowing better than to disobey any order. His arm was trembling lightly when the firm grip of his father prevented any moving. Jace felt a familiar sting when a rune was etched into his skin and he held his breath, silently praying to the Angel to let the rune stay this time. But as always, praying did nothing to change the situation for the better. The once black rune faded into a glowing gold and then into nothingness. Jace bit his bottom lip, he could imagine what was now to follow, he saw the disappointment and anger in his father’s gaze. “Strip. Kneel” the barked order made the boy shiver. 

“Please..” but Jace stopped right there. It isn’t my fault he wanted to add, but he knew better than to voice it. He just stripped and kneeled, as his father unbuckled his belt and snapped it a few times, to get a better feeling for it – as if Valentine needed this. With a swoosh the belt came down on the blond’s back, causing Jace to yelp in pain. But he tried to be brave, tried to bit back the tears and muffle his screams. After the tenth strike he couldn’t help himself anymore and he screamed, losing track of time and place. 

He woke up an hour later, lying in the basement on the concrete floor on his bloody back and all he could do was sob. He turned on his stomach to ease the pain a little but didn’t bother to get up to lay down on his mattress. It didn’t matter, nothing did. He would never be a Shadowhunter, never be worthy of Valentine’s love and approval.

Days blurred into weeks, weeks into months and months into years. Nothing much changed for Jace, he still was tolerated by his father as a servant, but nothing more. He lived in the basement, in the dirt and darkness. He cleaned, he cooked, he did everything he was told. From time to time, his father tried to draw runes on him. Jace dreaded these times, but not for the runing itself but for the after. The punishments he had to endure got more severe every time, the rage of Valentine beyond every measure. But the runes kept fading, every single time. In a rage attack Valentine runed Jace’s complete body with every basic rune ever written in the Gray Book, but the result was the same. After some hopeful seconds, the boy’s skin looked as bare as before. This was the day when Valentine decided that punishing Jace was not enough anymore. He dragged the boy with him and chained him to the fence of the paddocks. And then he got Malik. The beautiful, proud stallion snorted with anger, shaking his head to get rid of Valentine’s hold, but Valentine had activated his Strength rune and the horse had no chance. Jace looked at his stud, horror written all over his face. Not many people knew that horses could scream. After that day, Jace did. And it was all his fault, just because he could not be normal like every other Shadowhunter, just because he could not be marked or at least have the decency to die when he couldn’t. Jace cried, he let the tears fall which he had hold back for so long, but as always, it did nothing to stop his father. 

His only comfort was that Valentine didn’t kill Malik, the horse being too valuable for that. Jace nourished it back to health, living know in the constant fear that Valentine would use his horse as the ultimate punishment again. 

***

From time to time, Jace was ordered to clean up Céline’s room. Her room had stayed untouched, all her belongings, books, clothes, jewelry were still in the same spot as the day she died. Jace was only allowed to dust and clean the room, he was strictly forbidden to move anything. But one day, he was not careful enough and while he polished the mirror, a book which lay close by fell to the ground with a loud bang. Jace froze for a second, hoping that no one had heard the noise. For once, he got lucky. Jace hurried to pick up the book, when an old photo slipped out. It showed his mother with a man by his side Jace had never seen before. His mother looked at the man with an adoring and loving expression on her face. The man had laid an arm protectively around Céline’s waist and smiled at the camera. Jace smiled back. The man looked a lot like himself, having the same shape of eyes, mouth and nose. Even their eye color matched. Jace wandered who this man was, but given the loving gaze and the clear familiarity to himself, he figured it had to be an unknown uncle. He caressed the face of his mother and uncle with his thumb, sighing softly, wishing for the impossible, for a mother to love him, for a family to protect him and belong to. He quickly glanced at the door before he took the photo and placed it in the inside pocket of his jacket. His heart beat frantically, but no one had noticed. 

Back in the basement he hid the photograph next to his most precious belonging, a witchlight his brother had given to him after Valentine had tortured Malik. Jace was still at odds about his brother, but the small gesture meant the world to him. The witchlight glowed in a faint greenish light, a bit like a seraph blade. It was not much, but it held the complete darkness at bay. If only Jace had something like that for his heart.

***

Rumors were that a new pack of werewolves had settled down in Brocelind Forrest, which surrounded the Silver City of Alicante. Valentine hated werewolves even more than other Downworlders, as a rouge wolf had murdered his father. Valentine was quick to decide that he wanted to check the newcomers out, finding a reason to kill them. He took Jonathan with him, this time not bothering to bring Jace along. It was seldom that Jace had the house for himself. As always, he had a lot to do but he enjoyed the freedom of being on his own. A knock on the door interrupted his line of thinking. Normally he was not allowed to open the door, but as Valentine and his brother had just taken off, he supposed that they had forgotten something and had returned to fetch it. 

He was in no way prepared for the boy who stood in front of the door. He was tall with dark hair and intense, piercing blue eyes which looked directly into his own. Jace swallowed dry, he had never seen someone as beautiful as this boy. His body was lean, the tight riding gear showed every muscle and left nothing to the imagination. Jace was more than ever aware of his own looks. He wore a faded pair of jeans which were dirty, as he had just cleaned the antics. His upper lip was slightly swollen and his left eye was circled with different shades of blue and yellow, signs of his latest punishment. But strangely, the boy in front of him seemed as mesmerized by him as he was. 

The raven boy cleared his throat and blushed a little when he finally started to speak. “Uh, I have an invitation for Valentine Morgenstern. Is he there?” Jace shook his head. “He is out for a hunt. But I’m his son.” Jace eyes widened when he realized his mistake, but it was too late to take it back. It would be more than strange to first announce to be related to Valentine and then proclaim otherwise. He bit his lower lip forcefully, trying to figure out what to do next. The taller boy ruffled his own hair, leaving it in an adorable mess. Jace wondered what it must feel like to comb through the thick mane. He shook his head, not knowing where his thoughts came from, he had never thought about anyone like this. 

“Great” the boy continued, “then you can pass the invitation on. It’s for my sister’s wedding. Normally we live in New York, but my mother and her want to celebrate it the traditional way, here at the Accords Hall in Alicante.”   
“And who are you?” Jace managed to choke out. The boy’s blush deepened.  
“I’m Alec” he stuttered. “Alec Lightwood.” He managed a smile and Jace couldn’t help but smile back. The boy was intriguing. “And what is your name?”   
“Jace. Morgenstern, obviously. Do you want to come in?” He was very well aware that he was not supposed to invite a stranger to the house and he would suffer tremendously for it if it ever came out. But for once, Jace didn’t care. He needed to get to know Alec better. He just had to.

To his dismay, Alec shook his head. “I’m sorry, Jace, I’d love to, but I have to forward more invitations. My mother went a bit crazy and invited every Shadowhunter family living in Idris, at least it feels like that. But, well, you know, mothers.” He rolled his eyes impressively. 

“I wouldn’t know. My mother died giving birth to me.” Jace also rolled his eyes, but just inwardly. Why did he bring up this topic now? He truly was a master of small talk. But to his surprise, the intense gaze of Alec softened, not showing pity but showing empathy. The blue of Alec’s eyes shifted to a warmer tone. “That sucks.”   
Jace couldn’t help but smile sadly. “Yes it does.” He was glad that the other refrained from the usual “I’m sorry” phrases. “So do our families actually know each other or are we just invited because we are the famous Morgensterns?”

Alec shrugged. “I think the latter, at least I have never heard my parents mention yours before. But we spent nearly all time in New York, so we don’t have much time to socialize.” 

Alec still looked at him and suddenly Jace realized that they both had drawn closer, as if they were not able to prevent it. And apparently they truly weren’t. Jace tilted his head a little and for a split second, Alec leaned in as if to kiss him, but at the last moment he stepped back. Jace couldn’t help but feel disappointed, wondering what in hell he was doing there. 

“I really have to go” Alec stammered, but not moving, he kept looking at the blond. “I will see you at the party, right?” Jace shrugged, knowing very well that he would never be granted to go to that party. “I don’t think so. My father is kind of strict.” The understatement of the year.   
“But you really have to! The invitation is clearly for your whole family! Please Jace, I need to see you again. And after the party we will return to the Institute in New York.” Alec had stepped forward, a faint blush covering his cheeks again. Jace felt his face getting hot as well, the closeness making him dizzy. He looked up and met the pleading blue eyes and in that moment he knew that, no matter what, he would go to the event. “Ok” he managed to whisper before this time they both leaned in to close the gap between them. It was a soft, innocent kiss, their lips just brushing tenderly together. Alec’s lips felt incredibly soft and warm, a harsh contrast to his own rough and bruised ones. The kiss was over way too soon, but it was a promise for more. Alec turned around to mount his horse, an impressive tall black Shire Horse, which matched perfectly with Alec’s appearance. Jace admired the beauty of rider and horse while they galloped away. What he even admired more was the tenderness with which Alec rode the huge black horse, not using any force to control it. Jace didn’t know how long he stood in the fading sunlight, looking at the point where Alec had disappeared, before he turned back to enter his so called home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos and comments are life - so thanks for leaving them :-)


	3. And then you'll rise again

Valentine and Jonathan killed the werewolves, which put Valentine in a particular good mood. For once, he left Jace alone, not punishing him for minor mistakes or just for his mere existence. He even accepted the Lightwood’s invitation. The wedding of Isabelle was the event of the year, the Lightwoods being an old, influential and rich Shadowhunter family. That Izzy married an ascended mundane, Simon Lovelace, made it just the tiny bit scandalous to attract and fascinate the masses. Alec had not been exaggerating; half Alicante was invited, every important Shadowhunter family among them. All planned to attend, the Branwells, the Carstairs, the Blackthorns, the Herondales and many more. Valentine snorted at the last name. Imogene Herondale was currently the most powerful person in the Shadow World, being the High Inquisitor. Valentine hated her for her liberal and lax views on the whole Downworlder issue. He had gone to school with her son, Stephen. At the beginning, a kind of friendship had evolved between the two boys, but when Valentine got together with Céline, things had changed. Valentine was too absorbed with his relationship to care for his friends anymore. When Valentine and Céline had been married for a couple of years, Céline had befriended Stephen, which had always been a thorn in Valentine’s flesh. However, Valentine was sure that he would not have to put up with Stephen at the wedding. He had not been home since a decade or even longer, rumor was that his loved one had died and he couldn’t stand the sight of his home country without her, so Stephen had moved away.

Jace got more nervous the closer the day of the wedding got. What if Alec didn’t want to see him again? What if he got discovered? But the nervousness was mixed with excitement. It was a huge party, but still the chance of being found out was immense. However, the urge of seeing Alec again was stronger than any fear, Jace had made up his mind. He was not sure what it was about the raven boy, but just the thought of him made him stronger.

Whenever Valentine and Jonathan had left Jace alone at home for some thing or another, they hadn’t locked Jace up. The fear and obedience he was taught from birth on were enough to keep the blond in the house. So there would be no problems for him to leave, he just had to wait till his brother and father were gone. He even had found the courage to sneak into Jonathan’s room to _borrow_ his old glad rags, which the redhead certainly wouldn’t miss as Jonathan had out grown them long ago. But they fitted perfectly Jace’s smaller, lean, slightly malnourished frame. It was traditional black ceremonial gear laced with gold runes, which matched stunningly Jace’s eye. And as Valentine hadn’t beaten him in a while, his face had had time enough to heal, no bruises or cuts decorated his beautiful features.

The day of the wedding was flawless, blue sky, shining sun, the occasional white cloud. Jace had gotten up in the middle of the night to finish his normal duties before the day had even started, so that he at least had a chance to go undetected and unpunished. He was glad when Valentine didn’t notice. Maybe, this day, things would work out in Jace’s favor.

Jace waited a solid hour after his father and brother had left the manor, before he prepared himself. He used his mother’s bathroom to clean himself properly. He couldn’t recall the last time he had actually used warm water and a real shower to do so, Valentine only granted him a wash bowl with freezing water, if at all. When he rubbed himself clean under the hot steam, his skin started to prickle and he felt more alive than he had in ages. He was more in control, he knew about the danger he put himself in, but for once, he didn’t care. Valentine had taken away his last name, his dignity, his purpose, but he would not take away this chance from him.

Once scrubbed clean he slipped into his wedding gear. He liked the feeling of the soft fabric on his skin, the contrast to his usual worn-out and smutched clothes immense. He was ready.

When Jace arrived, the party was already in full swing, hundreds of people standing around talking to each other, sipping fancy drinks, some were dancing. The official part was already over, Jace could see a beaming bride dancing with a proud groom, who smiled all over his face as if he was the luckiest man alive. Jace smiled at the sight, it felt nice to see that people actually got to be that happy. But he wasn’t here for the bride, he was here for her brother. His gaze darted through the room, scanning it to find the dark haired boy. His heart skipped a beat when he finally found him, he was talking animatedly to an older man, probably his father. Alec looked stunning in his gear. He wore the traditional black and gold but with blue highlights to underline the ocean blue of his eyes. When he suddenly looked up and found Jace, his whole face lit up in an instant. It felt like the world stopped spinning for a few seconds.

With a smile Alec said something to his father, who looked up and watched Jace carefully, a frown forming on his face, a frown which went unnoticed by either of the boys. Alec made his way to Jace, who stood hidden in the shadows, to not draw any attention to him.

When Alec took his hand to drag him outside, into the huge garden, Jace felt a light bolt of electricity running through his body. He had no idea why, but he was smitten by the raven boy, following him without any second thoughts. Alec’s hand in his made him feel warmer than he had in ages.

Finally they were outside and in a quiet corner, surrounded by nothing but bushes and trees. Alec turned to him, the same radiant smile still on his face. “You really came” he breathed softly. “When you didn’t show up during the ceremony I thought you bailed on me.” He brushed lightly with his thumb over Jace’s jawline, making the blond shiver. Jace felt himself leaning into the touch helplessly, as if his body had a will of its own now. Alec’s smile even deepened when he realized it. “You look so fucking gorgeous” he murmured before he leaned in to kiss Jace for the second time, this time for real. He sucked lightly on Jace’s lips and when he bit down, just a tiny bit, Jace gasped in surprise, giving the taller boy the opportunity to enter his mouth. Alec’s tongue slipped in, exploring the unknown. Alec’s hand found his way in Jace’s blond hair, tugging lightly on it to make his head tilt even more. The other hand was around his waist, holding him firmly in place. What could be intimidating just wasn’t, Jace had never felt so protected and save, the possessiveness the other showed making him feel wanted and cared for. Jace kissed back, allowing his tongue to play with Alec’s, sucking and nipping at the other boy’s lip. The kiss left both of them breathless but wanting for more. Jace pressed his forehead against the other boy’s, panting a little. “What are you doing with me?” he whispered shakily. Alec laughed a genuine, infectious laugh.

“Me with you? The better question is what are _you_ doing with _me_? I barely know you but I just can’t get enough of you.” With that, he kissed Jace again, words forgotten and replaced by feverish actions. Alec’s warm fingers found their way under cool, silky fabric, scrubbing over bare skin, exploring the muscular body. But where there should be soft and smooth skin, he found rough, rugged lines which made the taller boy pause. Jace drew back instantly, realizing that he had gone too far, had his guard let down too fast and too profoundly. But Alec was taking none of it, grasping Jace by his wrists and pulling him back close. “Who did this to you, Jace? Are these all scars?” His voice was raspy like sandpaper, the emotions barely hidden. Jace felt heat and anger radiating from the raven boy’s body, but he knew it was not directed at him. He stared at the ground, torn between the urge to confess his darkest secret to Alec, the reason why his father punished him day after day, the reason why he deserved to be punished and torn between the urge to just turn around and hide, hide his shame and also protect his father, as deep down some part of him was aware that his father wronged him.

A firm grip forced his chin upwards and the piercing glance with which he was met pinned him down, leaving him no choice but to stare back. He bit his lower lip, hard, he wanted to feel the pain, needed it to get him grounded again. The sharp ache did its job, Jace felt like he could think and breathe again. But before he could do anything, he felt Alec’s soft lips brushing against his, kissing their way up to his ear. “Don’t shut me out, please. I’ve seen your bruises last time, back then I just thought you had a fight with a demon or something. But this, this is different. Someone is torturing you. I bet it is your father.”

Jace stayed silent. Torture. It was such a strong word. He knew that his body was covered in scars, most of them given to him by his father. Maybe it really was some kind of torture. But what would happen if he confessed to Alec? Would he be sent away to live with mundanes? Or could Alec maybe even protect him?

Before he could decide, the two boys heard frantic whispers. Two men were approaching them, deep into a heated discussion. Quick-wittedly Jace pushed Alec behind the thick hedge. He felt Alec’s arms come around him and again he leaned gratefully into the embrace. He could stay here forever with these strong arms wrapped around him.

“Stephen, you have to listen to me! That boy just looks like you. He has your mouth, your nose and even the eye color matches yours. The shape of your faces is identical! Only the hair color doesn’t match, he has the same blond as Céline.” Jace realized that one of the men was Alec’s father, and out of a sudden he remembered having heard the name Lightwood before. The man in front of him who talked feverishly to his friend must be Robert Lightwood, an old acquaintance of his father, the boy who nearly could not be runed.

The other man, Stephen, stood in the shadows, Jace could not see his face.

“Robert, please. Stop that. I should never have come. I hate this place. I hate this man. I just came to honor Izzy, because you and your family gave me a place to stay after…” A small sob escaped his mouth. “This is just too much for me. I shouldn’t have come.” His voice sounded pleading, but Robert was determined to get his point through.

“Stephen, you have to get yourself together. I know you fear an encounter with Valentine. He is an evil man. But this is not about Valentine. Hell, this is not even about your beloved Céline. It is about this boy, Stephen. He looks just like you. I bet he is your son. Alec said he is a Morgenstern, but I really doubt it. I’ll be damned if he is not a Herondale. Think of it! Can you really be sure that the baby Céline carried when you two were together was Valentine’s?”

Jace drew in a sharp breath when he heard the names of his parents. What the hell was Robert talking about? Of course he was a Morgenstern, what else should he be? But before he could step forward to yell at the two men, Stephen turned slightly and sunlight fell on his face. Jace stopped in his movement, rooted to the spot. Even if more than a decade lay between the picture and the man in front of him, he knew instantly that Stephen was the man on the photo with his mother, the man who really just looked like him. But he was not an uncle as he had assumed but…. His mother’s lover? His real father?

Again, before the two boys could react, the scene in front of them changed again. The blond felt his heart sank when he saw the all too familiar figure of his father approaching. He was in company with a woman Jace had not seen before.

“Well, well, well. Look who we’ve got here. My two favorite _friends_ from school. Why are you hiding in the garden? Hiding from the disgrace of a son-in-law who was mundane merely days ago, Robert? It’s a shame for our race. I would never let my son marry such a piece of filth.” Jace felt Alec tense beside him, but this time it was him who held Alec in place. He shook his head, silently pleading with the other. The raven boy gave a curt nod, clearly not happy with the situation and the fact that he needed to hide, but he stayed put.

“Valentine, what a pleasure.” Robert’s tone was as icy as Valentine’s. Jace had to give him that, he didn’t waver one bit, and Jace knew how intimidating his father could be. “It’s nice of you to make it to my daughter’s wedding. I’m really glad to welcome Simon to my family, he is a good guy and makes Izzy happy. And as a father, this is all that matters to me. But making women happy was never your strong suit, wasn’t it, Valentine?”

Jace hold his breath, he had never heard someone talk to his father like that. He saw the blue vain at his father’s throat pulsating, a clear sign that he was about to explode. Unlike Robert, Stephen seemed clearly afraid, he shrunk back into himself, as he wanted to be invisible. But nothing appealed more to Valentine than weakness, he sensed it immediately. He spat on the ground. “I don’t know what my wife saw in you, why she befriended you. You have the right name, Stephen, but you certainly are not a real Herondale. Your mother Imogene must be truly ashamed of this excuse of a son.” Stephen shrank even more into himself and Jace had no idea what made him say the next things, he only knew that from this moment on all happened at once.

“At least I made her happy. We loved each other. Apparently I even have a son with her.”

At these words, Valentine sprang forward without a warning, drawing a seraph blade and whispering its name. He landed in front of Stephen, blade pointing at the smaller man’s throat. “Say that again, you bastard and I will end you.” Before Robert could come to help his friend, the redheaded woman had also drawn her blade and directed it at him.

“Stay out of this, Jocelyn, this is none of your business.” Robert had also drawn his weapon, they were in a pat situation.

“Neither is it yours, Lightwood”, the woman responded coldly.

The short bravado which had befallen Stephen had left him just as sudden, the man stood unmoving and shivering in front of Valentine. “What did you do to my wife? How dare you imply that she cheated on me. What is this bullshit about?” Stephen just shook his head, looking defeated, his lips pressed in a thin line. He wouldn’t say a word. But Robert was done truckling to Valentine. “Have you once looked at your youngest son? And have you looked at Stephen? I don’t think that needs further explanations.” Valentine frowned for a moment, slowly the realization settling in. A laugh ripped through the silence, the cruelest laugh Jace had ever heard. “That explains everything. I really was wondering how a Morgenstern could be such a disgrace.” He laughed again, Jace felt his heart turn into ice, a single tear falling down his deathly paled face. Alec looked at him, his eyes wide in shock, not understanding what this was about. “ _Your son_ ” Valentine spat, each syllable like a punch to Jace’s gut, “is not even a real Shadowhunter. You think you tricked me, cheating with my wife behind my back. But what you got for it is a son who cannot even bare runes. You should be ashamed of yourself. And of him. He is just as weak and useless as you are.”

Jace trembled, shaking his head in denial. He had always known what his father thought of him, but to hear it in front of strangers, in front of his biological father, in front of the boy he wanted to impress so badly, was something entirely different. But after the first shock, after the first urge to shrink into himself in the same way Stephen had done, another feeling settled in. Rage. Valentine had no right to talk about him like that. Even if he was not a real Shadowhunter, he was still a human being. He was worth something.

Valentine stepped back, throwing another blade towards Stephen. “Fight against me, you coward. I have the right to defend my honor.” With shaking hands Stephen picked up the blade from the ground, but of course he was no match to Valentine. Alec and Jace heard Robert scream, trying to rush to his friend’s aid but held back by Jocelyn, who attacked Robert viciously. With one harsh blow, Valentine buried his blade deep into Stephen’s chest and without hesitating a second, he joint Jocelyn into the fight.

With one swift move Alec jumped over the hedge, a sword ready in hand to help his father against the two attackers. Suddenly even more of Valentine’s friends showed up, all joining in the fight, the Lightwoods were clearly outnumbered. The two of them fought together flawlessly, they trusted each other and it was clear that they were a well-trained team, but the sheer number of enemies made it nearly impossible for them to win. Finally, Jace was able to shake of the numbness which had immobilized him. He drew out Raquel, whispering softly the name of the blade. It truly was time for redemption.

Valentine and his followers had separated the two Lightwoods, making easier prey of them. Valentine was charging furiously at Alec, who was already bleeding from a wound at his side. It was clear that he wouldn’t last much longer. When Valentine saw Jace, he roared his cruel laugh again. “And what do you think you are doing here? You useless piece of shit.” He was just about to bring the final blow down to Alec when it happened. Jace felt the same prickling sensation he had sometimes felt in the face of danger, but this time, something else happened. The prickling transformed into heat and his whole body lit up. Every single rune, and there were many, which Valentine had ever edged into his skin, lit up with a golden glow. Even his eyes glowed golden, no blue left in them. He had never been able to activate his runes for himself, but now seeing his love in danger, it was the most natural thing to do, even if he had no idea how he really was doing it. He just activated them. Jace felt a power rushing through his vanes he had never felt before, amplifying his speed and strength tremendously. With one flip he stood in front of Alec, countering the blow of his father easily. Valentine’s eyes widened in surprise, quickly followed by shock. Before he could recover from it, Jace already attacked him furiously. All the anger and hatred, piled up during the years of abuse, came to the surface and Jace fought like he had never fought before. Each blow accurate, leaving his father in a position where he could merely defend himself. Alec behind him panted heavily, his ragged breathing indicating that he needed help. This thought pitched Jace even more forward, his next strike disarming his father and not only that, Valentine lost his balance and crashed to the ground. Jace was over him within seconds, pointing the blade at his father’s throat. In front of his father, Jace’s body was shaking, but this time not with fear but with barely hidden rage. But as much as he hated Valentine in this moment, had hated him for so long, as much he was still his father. He wasn’t sure if he had it in him to kill him like this. Thankfully, this choice was taken from him. Robert suddenly stood next to the blond, gesturing towards Alec. “Help my son. I will deal with him.” Jace just nodded, rushing towards Alec. “Where is your Stele?” he asked the boy, who was sitting on the ground, leaning against a tree trunk. His right hand was clutching his side, black blood pouring out of the ugly looking wound. With trembling fingers, Jace pulled the Stele out of Alec’s jacket, applying several Iratzes next to the deep cut. He sighed in relieve when he saw it closing, slowly, but steadily. Alec would be fine.

“What the hell is going on here?” The voice of a woman who was clearly used to be listened to rang through to them. Jace looked up from Alec, just to see Valentine lying in a pool of blood, next to Stephen. He gulped. If the stories were true, he had not only lost one father today, but two. Looking at Alec, who had interlaced their fingers and smiled softly at him, he was sure he had won so much more than he had lost that day.

Epiloge

Jace’s true identity was indeed revealed later. As every other male descendant of Will Herondale, he had a star-shaped birthmark on his shoulder. This birthmark had nothing to do with genetics but everything with angelic magic. The Angel Ithuriel had marked Will Herondale back in the 19th century due to his connection to Tessa Gray, who had worn the trapped Angel in a pendant around her neck. The birthmark was passed on throughout the generations, so that Ithuriel was able to keep track of the Herondales. As the angelic powers were exceptional strong in Jace, his runes worked differently than the ones of any other Shadowhunter. They vanished after applying, but only on the outside. In reality, they stayed forever, Jace never needed to apply one rune twice. And he didn’t need a Stele to activate them, his willpower sufficient for them to glow.

It had taken him years to discover this, but his fear for Alec had been the catalyst for them to light up. His own life had never been precious enough to Jace to make that happen, but Alec’s had been. And once the channel was open, Jace had never problems again to activate them when needed.

His brother took the information of Valentine’s death better than expected. As Jace was now a Herondale, Jonathan inherited Morgenstern manor. Jace didn’t mind at all, he was glad that he didn’t have to set foot in the house again which had been his prison for so long. He hoped that his relationship with his brother would heal over time and without their father, they could be true brothers again.

Jace’s only living blood family beside Jonathan was Imogene Herondale, his grandmother, the Inquisitor. Frankly, she was a bit intimidating, but she had the heart at the right place. She was glad to have a grandson and wanted to get to know him and so did Jace.

And Alec and Jace? It seemed the Lightwoods needed to prepare a second wedding soon, so that the two lovebirds could start their happily ever after life.

***

Their wedding day was rainy and stormy, dark clouds chasing each other on the grey sky. But the grooms didn’t mind, neither of them needing the sun to feel warm and alive. They had insisted on a small wedding, Jace not having friends or a huge family and Alec had never liked being the center of attention. All they wanted was to make their love official, showing the world they belonged to each other.

The Silent Brother who held their ceremony stood already at the altar, waiting for them, when Jace and Alec entered the small chapel. They wore matching black wedding gear, the Wedded Union rune and the Agape rune woven in in a beautiful gold tone. In the official ceremony the Wedded Union rune would be placed on their hands, making their wedding bond official in the eyes of the Clave. Later on, in private, both boys wanted to apply the love rune Agape over the other’s heart. Agape was the rune for unconditional love, the love both had felt for each other at first sight.

Both boys looked stunning, their gleaming eyes even outshining the gold of their runes on their gear. They walked slowly down the aisle, their hands interlaced, smiling at each other from time to time, squeezing their hands as to reassure each other that they were really doing this.

Standing in front of the Silent brother, they both recited their wedding vows, promising to love, to protect and to cherish the other. Every word was spoken from their hearts; there was now room for doubt or fear, only for want and love. Their hands had stayed interlined for the whole ceremony, not able to let go of the other. Only when it was time to draw the runes, they separated, but not without a caressing brush over the other’s back of the hand before letting go. Jace’s smile was catching when he drew the Wedded Union rune on Alec’s hand, his own hand not trembling one bit. Afterwards, he held out his, so that he could be marked in the same way. Alec carefully drew the same rune; as expected, the rune faded from black into gold and then vanished. But they were married now, that was what mattered. Alec leaned in to kiss Jace and the other responded gladly, their first kiss as a married couple was something special, both savoring the moment forever. Jace could taste Alec’s smile on his lips and he couldn’t help but smile back, even though he felt a little sad that his rune had disappeared, he had wanted the world to see instantly that he was taken, that he was somebody’s. When Alec got something from his pocket, a small pendant with the wedding rune engraved in it in gold, his eyes widened with amazement. Alec slipped it over Jace’s head and brushed away the silent tears which were falling down the blond’s cheeks before he kissed his husband for the second time. This time the kiss tasted of salt and tears, but they were happy tears, the most happiest ever shed.

Later on, in the quiet of their room, they undressed each other slowly. Each exposed bare skin cherished and caressed with kisses and tender bites, before they carried on with the next part. Jace sucked lightly on the delicate skin over Alec’s heart, before he marked the other permanently with the Agape rune, the final step to their love. A small part of him still couldn’t believe that he had found someone like Alec, who was willing to pledge his life to his own. When he was finished, the raven boy took over the Stele, kissing the scared skin of the blond. Tenderly he edged in the same rune. To both boy’s utmost surprise and awe, the rune didn’t fade away, it stayed. Not in the black color of Alec’s, but in a beautiful shade of rose gold. It stood clearly visible against Jace’s pale skin. Jace blinked, once, twice. But the rune stayed. Alec laughed, his hand placed over his lover’s heart and golden rune. “You and me, Jace Herondale, we are just meant to be. I love you now and forever. You are mine and I’m yours..”

“And I love you, now, forever and if there is a life after this, I will love you then. Always. You are mine and I am yours. Forever.”

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel I kind of have to apologize for this chapter. I had it nearly completely written and then somebody closed it without saving it… This was rather frustrating and I feel the first version I’ve written was the better one, even though I tried my best to give the story the ending it deserved. So yeah, I hope I’ve learned my lesson and will hit the save button in between more often ;-)
> 
> Nevertheless I hope you enjoyed also the third part of the Shadowhunter Cinderella fairy tale. If so, please leave kudos/feedback, I really would love to hear what you think. Thanks for reading!


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